Category: News

Visit the Walters Art Museum and try out the new Mobile Guide to discover the stories behind the collection.

Did you know that William T. Walters bought most of his art with money he made from a whiskey business? Or that William’s wife, Sadie, became the toast of high society by introducing the waffle iron? Visit the Walters Art Museum and try out the new Mobile Guide to discover the stories behind the collection. Through photographs, letters and historic material from the museum’s archives, get to know members of the Walters family—father William, wife Ellen, son Henry and their daughter Jennie. Read stories created around the themes of family, food, travel and collecting, while looking at important works of art in the galleries. The stories are modern-day reinterpretations, based on the lives of the Walters family, drawn from the museum’s archival records. Over time, the Mobile Guide will grow as new objects and stories are added.

Rich in natural resources and famed for its artistic traditions, Yemen is now a center of international concern. Since conflicts erupted in March 2015, nearly 3,000 civilians have died, and Yemen’s cultural heritage has been irreparably damaged. Under the sponsorship of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), museums around the world are highlighting Yemeni heritage.

Historians of the Greek and Roman world named ancient South Arabia, centered in present-day Yemen, Arabia Felix (“Happy Arabia”). They praised South Arabia’s fertile lands, which yielded grains, vegetables, fruits, and other commodities that were exported throughout the eastern Mediterranean. Between 1000 BC and the 6th century AD, South Arabian kingdoms prospered through a sophisticated economy based on long-distance trade. One such kingdom was Saba, the land of the Queen of Sheba, who, according to biblical traditions, traveled to Jerusalem to present King Solomon (10th century BC) with gold, precious stones, incense and other goods carried on Arabian camels.

Rich in natural resources and famed for its artistic traditions, Yemen is now a center of international concern. Since conflicts erupted in March 2015, nearly 3,000 civilians have died, and Yemen’s cultural heritage has been irreparably damaged. Under the sponsorship of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), museums around the world are highlighting Yemeni heritage for Yemeni Heritage Week (April 24-30, 2016). Follow #Unite4Heritage on social media to see what partner museums are doing to raise international awareness on the great richness of Yemen’s culture and history.

Thanks for another successful weekend of hacking the museum experience! This year, we asked participants to consider the audiences that their projects will target. Teams worked hard over the weekend and eight groups presented to qualify for a prize.

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Thanks for another successful weekend of hacking the museum experience! This year, we asked participants to consider the audiences that their projects will target. Teams worked hard over the weekend and eight groups presented to qualify for a prize. Below are the winners of the ‪‎ArtBytes‬ 3 museum hackathon:

During this week’s Super Thursday Party, the Walters Enthusiasts is sponsoring a Scavenger Hunt Contest for a chance to win two tickets to see the musical Chicago at the Hippodrome or a $50 gift card to Cardinal Tavern.

Visit the Walters Enthusiasts Facebook page during the Super Thursday Party to find the scavenger hunt clues. Clues will be posted 5:30 p.m., February 12, 2015. Follow the prompts to find the correct works of art, take a photo, and have your photos vetted at the Walters Enthusiast table in the second floor lobby of the Walters Art Museum. The contest ends at 7:45 p.m. and two randomly picked winners will be announced at 8 p.m.

What’s your favorite artwork at the Walters? Are you a fan of Faberge? Or maybe mummies make your day! Join us this Super Thursday Party and Valentine’s Day and vote with your heart.

What’s your favorite artwork at the Walters? Are you a fan of Faberge? Or maybe mummies make your day! Join us this Super Thursday Party and Valentine’s Day and vote with your heart. Pick up one of our paper hearts on your way into the museum, and pick your favorites. Drop a heart in front of Judith and Holofernes or maybe Isis is more your jam. Share a selfie with your art valentine and tag your photos‪ #‎HeartsForArt‬. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep tabs on votes and favorites.

Thank you for everyone that participated in our first Museum Selfie Contest! The likes have been tallied and we have our three winners! Drum roll please…

Thank you for everyone that participated in our first Museum Selfie Contest! We’ve enjoyed seeing everyone interact with the museum in fun, new ways. The likes have been tallied and we have our three winners! Drum roll please…